Not so long ago, 2 years to be precise, Perrier was celebrating its 150th anniversary and, for the opportunity, was broadcasting its most striking advertising films. It is true that advertising and communication have always been important for the brand.

This summer (since the Roland Garros final), Perrier has been broadcasting a new film.

The latter does not echo any special event in the brand’s life. So, it could have been a simple element in an advertising campaign. But the company and its trusted agency Ogilvy & Mather Paris have preferred to play and be in line with the great codes of the brand. However, the objective was also to seduce young people that don’t know the whole crazy advert history of Perrier and to recruit abroad. Among cultural and historical references, cult codes, coolness and jollity, they decided not to choose and to put it all together. Here is the result:

– Water (the film begins with a hot-air balloon coming out of water next to a waterfall), bubbles (hot-air balloon) and air (clouds and sky): the natural way of bubbles is well pictured. It reminds us of the brand’s former signature “L’eau, l’air, la vie”.

– The umpire in its chair: Perrier has been a partner of Roland Garros’ since 1978.

– The lion: recalling the famous film: “The woman and the lion” – 1990.

– And, of course, the rush, the explosion of bubbles. “Perrier’s great films have always been most pleasurable, explosive and crazy”, says Baptiste Clinet, Creation Director of Ogilvy & Mather Paris. Most pleasurable and explosive indeed. Actually up to the erotic connotation, as was the case with the film « Perrier: a phallic bottle” in 1976.

And as often in Perrier’s films, they take great care of the soundtrack, with a cover version of Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg.

On top of all these references to the House’s culture, the film also contains codes suitable for Perrier’s internationaldevelopment goal: the pom-pom girls unveil its will to get closer to the States.

As for the garçons de café, so French, they allow Americans to catch a glimpse of this retro image of Paris, a “cliché”.

Finally, Perrier’s communication patrimony is lacking in one element only, but not the least: madness. Probably dampened by the disastrous reactions to the former film (http://www.culturepub.fr/videos/perrier-slim-can-une-nouvelle-forme-de-plaisir/), quite a failure, one must say, Perrier plays safe here. And if profusion, party and euphoria are to be found in the film, even the signature is less affirmative. Perrier is not crazy anymore. Perrier is extraordinary, indeed, but rather consensual as a result, isn’t it?